A resort town at the man-made lake of the same name, JINDABYNE , 63km west of Cooma, is the jumping-off point for the ski resorts of Thredbo, a further 30km west, and Guthega, or up the Kosciuszko Road to Smiggin Holes and Perisher Valley (these two are also accessible by the Skitube - tel 02/6456 2010 or free call 1800 654 681 to check times; $17-25 return). Jindabyne itself is entirely new, having been relocated when the Snowy Mountains Scheme dammed the Snowy River and drowned the first settlement, and the lake is now its main attraction: there's good fishing, and in summer you can also swim and sail - most equipment is available to rent in the town. The Snowy Region Visitors Centre is within the NPWS headquarters here (daily: summer 8.30am-5pm; winter 8am-5.30pm; tel 02/6456 2444).

From Jindabyne, the Alpine Way continues into the national park and up to THREDBO , a compact and attractive village, squeezed into a narrow valley beside the road and the Crackenback River, with alpine-style houses huddled against the mountainside. In winter it offers the best and most expensive skiing in Australia, but unlike the other resorts, it is also reasonably lively in summer and - with its Crackenback chair-lift (daily 8.30am-4pm; $20 return) giving easy access to the high country - makes a good base for bushwalking and other explorations. The Thredbo Resort Centre (tel 02/6459 4198 or free call 1800 020 589) can advise on chair-lift timetables and provide other tourist information. There are several annual events in the Thredbo calendar. Musical highlights include the three-day Thredbo Blues Festival in mid-January, the three-day Global Music Festival in March and the four-day Jazz Festival in early May.